So...whats for dinner?
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Made a chicken stew from the leftover grilled chicken tonight... simple thing. Just some onions, carrots, and chicken with chicken stock. Eaten from a bowl with some rustic bread sliced. Heading back north tomorrow... we are in the final Mother-Move push. Mr. 02143 gets the prize. He has purchased free-standing shelves for the garage, found some tracks and standards for the inside shelves, and packed the car with book boxes. I was at my client's office until 6pm tonight. This isn't sustainable, I fear, but there it is.
Harvested all the basil from the garden. Some is hanging to dry, the rest has been turned into basil oil and is freezing. Over the winter, it will be turned into pesto and added to pasta. I am beginning to fantasize about two months off during the winter. Surely there is an island that won't mind a middle-aged-overweight-frumpy lady moving in for a bit. Reality says, I will work through the winter, but it is time to plan our Spring adventure.
Next up? turning all the green tomatoes into relish. But first, must get my mother moved.
*susan*
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Just created a little Google map to see where Lacey and her husband will be traveling. Looks like they will be heading north, through the Chianti region, Florence, and into the Tuscan hills. I am sure there is a reason that they are not taking the train to Florence and then picking up the car. Florence is one of the Italian cities I would like to investigate someday. Their villa is not that far from the ocean. I wonder if they will be able to get some wonderful fish and other goodies from the sea?
I have no idea if this link will work... but see if it does for you.
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Susan - how fun to see this map. We can all drool over Lacey's travels. Thanks for posting the link. Good luck getting your Mother settled. I had to do that w/my Dad a few years ago after my Mother died and it was a nightmare, not to mention a heartbreaker sorting all the memories & getting rid of all the "treasures". They'd been in the same house for over 60 years. Let me know if you find the "winter" island. I'm ready!!!
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Oh - and for the foodies - pork sliders for breakfast on Hawaiian sweet rolls. I know, weird, but I had to use the last of the pork loin immediately. Maybe I'll do French toast for dinner.
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Susan, I have an abundance of basil in my garden. How do you make Basil Oil?
And how do you use it?
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Basil oil is just basil and enough oil to make a paste. I use it to make pesto, slip into soups, slather on bread, and of course, toss with pasta, especially tortellini. Simply wash and remove the leaves. Throw into the food processor with a tiny bit of oil, and then as the processor is whirring around, pour oil into the machine through the feed tube. I only use really high quality olive oil since the oil is one of the two flavors. I then freeze in quart freezer bags, and break off chunks throughout the winter as needed. I used to do ice cube trays, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Some years I add garlic to the basil oil, but for whatever reason, this year I didn't.
*susan*
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hey Susan,
Miss our food chats in the chat room.
Tonight was only hamburgers........with organic grass fed beef of course!
Mo (Cherri)
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Mo!!!!!! What a delight. A good burger is a good burger. Pretty darn delicious and in my opinion, a treat. Hope you are well.
*susan*
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Lacey, your trip sounds so wonderful. Please post pictures.
I am going to try to post a picture of a squash that is growing in my garden. I bought the seeds in the spring and forgot about it, as it didn't seem to grow. Now, with kale, green tomatoes, zinnias, beets cabbage and a few zucchini left it has taken over my garden. What is it??
Does anyone know the proper time to pick it and how to cook it? It feels a little soft at this point like a yellow squash, but who knows?
Made fried green tomatoes and garbanzo bean, tomato and red onion salad for work tomorrow.
Well, that was definitely not successful. It is a yellow orb about the size of the palm of my hand and grows on a yellow stalk with a vine that grows very fast and is covering my garden like kudzu. I know, very helpful, lol
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Lacey your trip sounds divine. I am happy you are sharing it with us. The food sounds delightful too.
Well DH did a bbq pork chop and green salad. I am not going to complain if I get that every night - as long as he's cooking for me :-) Tomorrow we are going to go to our local pub - gets me out and him out of cooking
Hugs everyone xxxxxxxxxxx
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Susan,
Miraculously, I am still NED.
Our trip to your neck of the woods was changed to Ireland and we spent a glorious couple of weeks there in June. Although a little wet at times, the food was amazing...especially the seafood.
Hope you are well.
Mo (Cherri)
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mo ! nice to see you ... i too miss the chatroom ...
jenni
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Dinner tonight in my house is the lasagna that I made on Saturday night with some garlic bread. Not feeling up to making anything else.
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Last night we smoked a turkey breast on the grill and I served with a mushroom risotto and some roasted green beans. The goal of the turkey is to provide all of us with lunch for the whole week. Tonight I made a pan-roasted salmon with a tomato jam and bulghar. Leftover tomatoes with the tomatoes will be my lunch tomorrow with a bit of feta.
Still haven't shopped for a dress for the wedding, or arranged the transportation. However, I was able to move my mother's kitchen, create her network map, and fill a ton more boxes. Just seems a little unfair that both generations need me at the same moment.
Thinking of Lacey in Tuscany.... sounds wonderful to the ear.
*susan*
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Tonight I'm thinking ham steaks, potatoes and a veg
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Greetings all! I've been following posts but haven't been able to do many of my own. Seems like some kind of cooking going on here everyday. Last weekend we visited my DBIL and DSIL. Since DSIL is working, I took a very large pan of lasagna made with sausage and beef and a bechamel instead of ricotta. Wow -- way good. I may not ever use ricotta in lasagna again.
I've also been working on perfecting my French baguette. Since I've never been to France, I will never know if I've achieved the goal, but it's been fun trying! So far I've managed crackly crusts with big holey insides, but I think I'm hampered by my lack of a bakers couche. I think I'll have to remedy that soon if I'm going to continue this pursuit.
For the first time in several years, we managed to get a bushel of apples from our trees that the critters didn't eat. I took the remains of last year's frozen applesauce and made apple butter and the new apples have been cut up and frozen for pies and many new containers of sauce. I also made lime pickles, dill pickles, sweet relish and pickled peppers. The beets are about ready to harvest so I'll pickle some of those as well. Today, like Susan, I'm freezing tons of basil in olive oil and garlic. I'm not sure exactly when I turned into Suzy Homemaker.
The garden has nearly petered out, although the squash and zucchini are still going strong. The peppers suffered from lack of pollination but produced enough to eat. They're still setting fruit but we've had several nights in the 40's which have made them a bit unhappy. The hummingbirds are nearly gone
Sounds like Lacey is enjoying her trip. I so envy those that can fly long distances without trauma. And oh the pasta and the gelato!
Susan, you have your hands so full! It sounds like you're handling things admirably and still managing awesome meals! When DH and I got married (in our 30s) we of course, planned and paid for everything ourselves. Even though it was quite small, I decided that whatever one had to pay for a wedding planner was probably well worth the money! When DS got married, I was thankful that all we had to do was write the check for the rehearsal dinner. The worst part was trying to find a dress. I regret not taking more time to do so. I really didn't like the one I ended up with.
Bedo, I hope the new job is going well. I've been trying to figure out what your mystery plant might be. Pattypan squash? Wish I could see a picture.
Tazzy, hope you are on the mend. Enjoy others fixing dinner for you. It was the one of the few upsides to chemo, even if I couldn't enjoy it much.
Carole, Minnesota must be getting chilly about now. Your summer sojourn sounded wonderful and I loved reading your posts. We love the Northwoods! DH and I are coming to NOLA for Christmas and plan to take in a Reveillon dinner. Do you have any recommendations? We'll be staying in the French Quarter.
Luv, have you benefitted from any of the western rains? I hope so.
Monica, sending you a very belated birthday greeting. Great family picture! And dahling, I must say, you look mahvelous!
SK - a hundred flavors of gelato?? Be still my heart!!! I'm getting ready to try my hand at frozen greek yogurt. May have to try gelato too.
Tonight is roast beef with a squash souffle and applesauce (of course.) I'm sorry for the long post -- my apologies to those I've missed.
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auntie - 100 flavors and all the ones we tried were good! That place was fun and crazy! I am partial to the fruit ones and DH is partial to the nut and/or chocolate ones. We have a new-ish shop nearby that makes gelato and I am transported back to Italy whenever I see it or taste it. The best one I tried in Rome was watermelon - the memory of it is so strong I can still taste it! The best meal I had in Italy was in Positano on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and it a veal dish that included an arugula salad that tasted so fresh I swear they picked it outside and ran in and put it on my plate - and they probably did.
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Nance, glad to see your long post. Your cooking projects all sound good.
DH and I have been in MI for the last couple of weeks. We spent several days in Escanaba in the UP. Moved on to Petosky and from there to Manastee. The weather was mostly cold and rainy. We've been in Holland, MI, for the past week. We stopped here to visit dh's cousin and his wife for a couple of days. But the Ford truck, our tow vehicle, developed a problem. We're hoping to depart tomorrow and head for home. The weather here has been ideal, sunny with high in the high 60's or low 70's. Cool enough for cover at night.
I have done no cooking to speak of. We've had some good meals in restaurants. Last night we ate at an Italian restaurant in Holland and I had cheese ravioli with pesto sauce and shared a delicious tiramisu (sp?) dessert.
One interesting meal was at another Italian restaurant where the specialty is spaghetti pie. It's very good. I'm guessing the cooks mix cooked spaghetti with 3 different cheeses and press the mixture into a pan. It's served cut into a square with a delicious tomato sauce that tastes like fresh-cooked tomatoes.
At the moment a pot of chili is simmering on the stove. Ingredients are ground chuck, canned pinto beans, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. I also have some chicken breasts cooking in the crock pot with barbecue sauce. My plan was to prepare some food that we could warm up on our trip home.
I am SO looking forward to getting back home.
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I too loved reading about the cooking projects - Nance & Susan. And Special, my best friend was talking about a veal recipe tonight. Hope she'll send me the details.
Carole - your comment about Spaghetti Pie sounded so good it sent me scrambling looking at recipes. Lots of variety. I know you'll be glad to get home. Houston has been 65 the last two mornings so maybe you won't find home too hot.
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Mr. 02143 cooked the remaining piece of salmon for his lunch so that we could have turkey sandwiches for dinner. Since we smoked that turkey, I haven't been home for even one lunch! It was so good... a fabulous bread from the Seven Stars Bakery, with some mayo I made fresh, sliced garden tomatoes, lettuce, thinly sliced turkey, and for good measure, just a bit of maple-smoked bacon. I did put about one too many slices of tomato on these sandwiches, but man was it good!
It is about time to harvest our green tomatoes, and make the green tomato relish. T-Day is coming! We have already processed enough corn for this wonderful holiday.
I am hydrating like mad in preparation for treatment day tomorrow. Made a bit of popcorn so I could consume some salt. Tomorrow night will be a eat out night. I have faltered on my determination NOT to cook on treatment day lately. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
*susan*
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I have made spaghetti pie, or baked spaghetti, when taking a dinner to friends or neighbors who have a family situation and who have small children. It seems to be something most people like and I often have the basic ingredients.
Susan - your sammy sounds yum!
Carole - I bet you will be happy to get home, but bet it was a fun summer too.
Minus - I love veal but always feel a little sad/guilty when I eat it. But, I still eat it.
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Special - I feel guilty too but I don't eat it often. Can you post your spaghetti pie recipe?
Susan - Your sangys sound excellent. Good luck w/treatment day. Am I correct this is an injection and not an infusion? Enjoy your meal out.
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Giada has a pretty good spaghetti pie recipe, but I think she calls it Pizza Spaghetti, which I suppose is the same thing since "pizza" means pie I believe.
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Supper tonite was potato and carrots with kielbasa. Just a small pan full. Yum. I love potato and carrots cooked till almost soft and crispy brown.
I've been reading when I can but my phone is not charging well. Will have to spring for a new one. Just not yet. LOL
Much love to all.
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Its looking like a hot dog and french fries night
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Last night was roasted pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, and sautéed asparagus with red pepper flakes and lemon pepper.
minus - here is the baked spaghetti recipe I usually use. It is forgiving with the pasta, so use whatever kind you like or have on hand.
Saute onion and garlic in a scant amount of oil, then add ground beef (you can also add sausage of any kind) and cook until no longer pink, then drain off any accumulated fat. You can add jarred marinara sauce, or add basil, oregano, a large can of diced tomatoes and two small cans tomato sauce, and salt/pepper/any other spices you like. Cook for at least 15 minutes, or until sauce is tasting well combined. In a bowl mix a 15 oz tub of ricotta, about two cups of mozzarella, an egg, salt and pepper, and about half a cup of Parmesan. This is much like a lasagna filling. Cook a pound of pasta, drain very well and add to the cheese mixture. Add half of your sauce mixture to the bowl and mix gently. Put half of the pasta/cheese/sauce mixture in a greased large casserole dish, spoon half of the reserved sauce over, sprinkle a bit of mozzarella over the top and repeat the layers. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 F., or until bubbly. You can adjust the amounts of this and make less, or make two smaller ones and freeze one.
I have also seen this done, specifically with thin spaghetti or angel hair, where you make a crust in a pie dish with the pasta, then put the meat sauce on top and then cheese on top of the sauce - it is more of a layered dish, but I like the mixed one better because the pasta is more moist and you can use different shapes of pasta.
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omg... spaghetti pie! I haven't had that in years. My step-grandmother used to make that!
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mommyof2 - it is old-school for sure, but definitely comfort food!
Also, a note - cook the pasta al-dente because it will continue to cook in the oven a bit.
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good to know. Might make this sometime and suprise the hubby. I've never made it for him and I am going crazy trying to find new meals to make to break away from the same old thing.
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Mommyof2 - I've posted this b4 but it is a standard at our house. Brown 1/2-1 lb of kielbasa sausage (or any smoked sausage). I use a little olive oil. Add 2-3 cut up peppers - red, green, yellow whatever you choose and 1 cut up onion. I cheat and use BirdsEye frozen stir fry - has the peppers and onions esp. in winter when peppers are so expensive. Also add 2 small cut up yellow squash and 2 small zucchini. Add some chopped garlic about 1 tsp. Sprinkle in a good 2 tsp or so of dried basil. Crumble up a chicken broth cube or I use the loose chicken base in a jar. Cook about 1/2 lb or so of thin spaghetti al dente. You want the sausage a bit soupy, then stir the spaghetti back in to soak up soupiness. Serve with Parmesan cheese. We have this every couple of weeks or so. Now healthy not so much except for the peppers but yummy.
Special - I think I see spaghetti pie coming soon here. Thanks.
Everyone has been so busy cooking. I was under the weather last week with a cold. Hot tea and graham crackers. Been shuttling my car with lousy brakes back/forth to the dealer. Think they are finally fixed after they locked up and started smoking last week for DH after $800 in repairs the week b4. Sheesh. I'm looking forward one of these days to cooler days - nights have been nice. Oh Nancy I wish we had some of that rain. I think I heard record driest September. We have had a pittance. None of that stuff from west Texas made it this far east - like Ft. Worth area is east - not.
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